I became a fan of Jacen Zhu thanks to the wonderful green and black app on my phone. His smile while performing and his charming spirit made me wonder what he was like off screen. After I started following him on IG (@jacen.zhu), I kept seeing messaging for #TakedownTina, and I was intrigued. Tina, parTy, PNP, and Crystal are all street names for methamphetamine, or meth. On Jack’d & Grindr I started to notice more people saying they parTy, and at first I was hype ‘cause I thought the Atlanta party scene was reviving, but this is a different type of party. I started to hear more friend’s stories about going over to a guy’s house, expecting to get it in and the guy pulls out and offers a needle. I wondered (1) how did this begin to happen in communities of color and (2) is there anyone doing anything about it? Jacen is one of those people doing something about it. He’s started the Takedown Tina campaign which is a social movement aimed to “spread awareness about Crystal Meth use within Queer & Trans communities of color.” Jacen is vocal and open open about his previous struggles with meth, and he uses his platform to spread awareness about being HIV healthy and living undetectably. I’ve watched interviews and listened to him speak candidly about the very real reality that no one is bold enough to talk about. I think we all have the chance to use our voices and influence our communities. Jacen Zhu uses his onscreen fame, and his personal life experiences to speak up and speak out on real problems within our community. Jacen is a #BlackQueerPioneerbecause he uses his platform to form a more inclusive, aware, and stigma free environment for all Queer people.
